fos•ters about N.I. Sequoyah

Executive Summary of the fos•ters Report to the Bar [of England & Wales] Human Rights Committee (1994).

N.I. Sequoyah (NIS) was born Billy RayWaldon on January 3rd 1952 in Tahlequah, Oklahoma,
USA. (The name Sequoyah is after the inventor of the syllabary of the Cherokee language
(1770–1843).)

Following high school, NIS enrolled in the United States Navy. He trained as an Electronic Warfare Technician and progressed to the rank of First Class Petty Officer responsible for Electronic Warfare Watch supervision.

During his naval career, NIS became an advocate of the international language Esperanto. He
participated in the meetings and conventions of several linguistic organizations, and lectured
in Italy, France, Spain and Greece on the Cherokee and Japanese languages.

Following an honorable discharge from the navy in 1984, NIS actively pursued his interests in
the linguistics, history and culture of Esperanto and Cherokee.

In June 1986 NIS was arrested and charged on eight counts for crimes committed in Oklahoma
between the 15th and the 23rd of November 1985, and on twenty-four counts for crimes committed in San Diego between the 7th and the 20th of December 1985. The charges included
murder, rape, arson, armed robbery, use of a firearm with intent to kill, grievous bodily harm,
and burglary.

NIS fought, at length, for the right of self-representation, which was granted in November 1989.

There was widespread unbalanced media coverage of the case both before and during the trial,
which began in June 1991.

Devoid of both motive and forensic evidence, the prosecution case rested on stolen property
found in a car belonging to NIS, questionable eye-witness testimony, and a proficiency in outmaneuvering an unskilled and inadequately prepared defense, unable to attach substance to
its claims of political subterfuge targeting American Indian activists.

NIS was found guilty in December 1991 and was sentenced to death in February 1992. Since
March 1992 NIS has been an inmate of San Quentin State Prison.